Dollhouse

Grade Snapshot

Five young people break into a house. The owners are away. They are like aliens amidst the clean, stylish environment and modern fittings. Their urge to demolish seems to know no bounds as they burn a trail of destruction through the pristine rooms with their expensive furniture and tasteful decor. After hours of dedicated devastation in a bizarre caricature of family life, the boy next door turns up at their door. His presence seems to dramatically change the group dynamics; alongside the unbridled aggression, moments of quiet and total chaos, hidden secrets slowly surface: there is Denise, who has to use her asthma puffer in between imbibing recreational drugs; young Darren, Eanna and Shane, who are by no means all violent to the same degree, and Jeannie, who took her shoes off when she entered the house and who harbours the biggest secret of all … [Synopsis courtesy of Berlin International Film Festival]